Cantina Mesa Isola dei Nuraghi Primo Rosso 2011
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Cantina Mesa was born as a declaration of love for Sardinia. A marriage of beauty and goodness. Mesa represents the inspiration of Gavino Sanna, Italy’s most celebrated and awarded advertising professional, who dreamed of creating something extraordinary; as unique and simple as his own land, for his own land. The name Mesa, which in both Sardinian and in Spanish means table and sums up in just four letters the very soul of their winery. They honor the traditional gathering to celebrate nourishment, their family, their friends and their noble cultural treasure, the wines of Sardinia. The area creates wines best expressed in their simplicity and the fragrant aromas of the earth. A striking white structure, with minimalist lines, naturally surrounded by the hillsides that overlook Porto Pino in renown region of the Sulcis Iglesiente. The Sulcis Iglesiente is a historical region of southwestern Sardinia, and comprises the territories of Sulcis and Iglesiente. The winery rises from amidst the dark green of the Mediterranean scrub and the vineyards. It stands over the fruits of its own labor, observed with amazement and wonder by those that can glimpse it even from afar. Its main entrance and massive exterior wall, evoke impressions of Mesa’s wine labels. The interior covers five thousand square meters on three levels, every inch as modern as possible and designed around a process which ensures that both grapes and wine are treated with the deepest respect. Unusually large windows enclose the operations area, thus allowing their team to meticulously follow every step of the production.The terroir is composed of typical limestone detritus and red clay combined with relatively cemented aeolian sands. The soil is a loamy sand, well-structured and fertile, rich in calcium and micro-nutrients which make it perfectly-suited to viticulture.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Hailed for centuries as a Mediterranean vine-growing paradise, multiple cultures over many centuries have ruled the large island of Sardinia. Set in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Phonoecians, Ancient Rome, and subsequently the Byzantines, Arabs and Catalans have all staked a claim on the island at some point in history. Along the way, these inhabitants transported many of their homeland’s prized vines and today Sardinia’s modern-day indigenous grape varieties claim multiple origins. Sardinia’s most important red grapes—namely Cannonau (a synonym for Grenache) and Carignan—are actually of Spanish origin.
Vermentino, a prolific Mediterranean variety, is the island’s star white. Vermentino has a stronghold the Languedoc region of France as well as Italy’s western and coastal regions, namely Liguria (where it is called Pigato), Piedmont (where it is called Favorita) and in Tuscany, where it goes by the name, Vermentino. The best Vermentino, in arguably all of the Mediterranean, grows in Sardinia's northeastern region of Gallura where its vines struggle to dig roots deep down into north-facing slopes of granitic soils. These Vermentino vines produce highly aromatic, full and concentrated whites of unparalleled balance.
Today aside from its dedication to viticulture, Sardinia remains committed to maintaining its natural farmlands, bucolic plains of grazing sheep and perhaps most of all, its sandy, sunny, Mediterranean beaches.